7.0-magnitude earthquake hits Sichuan

CHENGDU, April 20 (Xinhua) -- A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Lushan
county of Ya'an city in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:02 a.m.
Saturday Beijing Time, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center
(CENC).

The epicenter, with a depth of 13 km, was monitored at 30.3 degrees north latitude and 103.0 degrees east longitude.

The quake was strongly felt by residents in Sichuan's capital city of Chengdu, which is about 140 kilometers from Ya'an.

A
resident in Chengdu, who was on the 13th floor of a building when the
quake occurred, said he felt the building shaking for about 20 seconds
and he saw tiles fall off nearby buildings.

People in Leshan city of Sichuan Province, and neighboring Chongqing Municipality also felt the earthquake.

The quake was also felt in provinces of Guizhou, Gansu, Shaanxi and Yunnan.

Multiple
aftershocks jolted the area after the 7.0 magnitude quake took place,
the largest aftershock in magnitude being the 5.1-magnitude one which
shook the bordering area of Lushan and Baoxing counties of Sichuan at
8:07 a.m..

Till the time of release, several aftershocks rated
above 4.0-magnitude hit the area, including a M-4.8 quake at 8:06 a.m, a
M-4.6 one at 9:02 a.m, a M-4.1 one at 8:31 a.m., and a M-4.1 on at
8:37.Special coverage:Quake Strikes Sichuanhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013sichuanquake/2013-04/20/content_16426485.htm

18:06At least 113 people have been killed in the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Southwest China's Sichuan province as of 4:40 pm on Saturday, according to the provincial seismological bureau.

17:55Chinese Premier Li Keqiang took a helicopter to the epicenter of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province, soon after his flight arrived in the southwestern province Saturday. During his flight from Beijing, Li convened emergency meetings to direct quake-relief work.

17:40Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday ordered rescuing troops in the quake-hit zone in Southwest China's Sichuan province to make "every possible effort".

17:25Officials at the transport management bureau of the Ministry of Public Security said several roads around the quake-hit areas in Ya'an of Southwest China have adopt measures of traffic control, Xinhua News Agency reported. The bureau also asked the public not to drive in their own cars to the quake zone, in case the roads being blocked by heavy traffic.

People’s Daily had made similar appeals on its Sina Weibo. The newspaper recommends people to use text message or WeChat, a popular text and voice messaging service in China, to communicate with their friends or relatives in the quake zone and leave the phone channel for people who most need it.

17:15A rescue vehicle carrying about 17 soldiers fell down a cliff on its way to the quake relief area, killing one solider on the spot. An injured soldier was sent to Yingjing County Hospital but later died, CCTV news reports on Sina Weibo.

17:05Firefighters have pulled out 51 people from collapsed structures, including 49 survivors, as of 3:50 pm Saturday, the Ministry of Public Security said.

16:58

102 people have been killed in the strong quake that hit Lushan county of Sichuan province on Saturday, CCTV reported.

16:45At least 100 people were reported dead by 4:22pm and more than 383,000 affected due to the Sichuan earthquake on Saturday, figures from China Earthquake Administration show.

16: 40A transport plane from Chengdu Air Force took off at 2:05 pm to bring a rescue team to Ya'an city, carrying 71 professional rescue workers and 4 sniffer dogs, CCTV news reports on Sina Weibo.

16: 36

Two of the largest air companies in China have set aside 15 passenger airlines, three cargo planes and three helicopters for rescue efforts taking place in Ya’an, Sichuan province.>>

16:30Death toll has climbed to 82. More than 2,000 people had been injured and about 383,000 people been affected by 2:30pm,according to Sichuan civil affairs department.

16:22

Spokesman of the Ministry of Transport He Jianzhong said two sections of the Beijing-Kunming expressway, Chengdu-Ya'an, Ya'an-Xichang, are now the main roads for outside vehicles to enter into Lushan county, the epicenter of the 7-magnitude earthquake, as other roads leading to the county have been blocked. Both roads are now free for vehicles to pass,Xinhua News Agency reported.

Traffic police in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, said on its Sina Weibo, that any rescue vehicles who need escort could contact them through 020-86406906. "We would move our forces in our quickest possible way to offer help,"the police said.

16:12

About 120,000 residents in Lushan county of Ya’an are awaiting settlement due to the deadly earthquake, the county government said. Tents, drinking water, instant noodles are among the most needed resources.

16:09

Premier Li Keqiang has arrived in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. He will take a helicopter to the epicenter, the CCTV reported.

15:55

About 80,000 prisoners have been evacuated from prisons in Sichuan after a powerful earthquake jolted the southwestern Chinese province on Saturday morning. Among them, more than 2,000 were evacuated from a prison in Ya’an county near the epicenter, Sichuan Daily reported. No deaths were reported among the prisoners, but one person was injured in the leg.

15:52A woman gave birth to a baby at a makeshift tent built at the People's Hospital of Ya'an, Sichuan, Sichuan TV reported. Both the mother and the baby are in good health.

15:50The power grid of Lushan county was damaged and water supply was cut off after the quake. Tents, water and food are badly needed, Xinhua News Agency reported.

15:46No student deaths have been reported in the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Southwest China's Sichuan province, according to the education authority.

15:40Chinese authorities have deployed more than 6,000 military and armed police soldiers and several aircraft to the area hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan province to help with rescue and relief efforts, People's Daily reports.

15: 30Lushan Middle school was used as a temporary airport after the quake, and 6 planes from Chengdu military region took off for Longmen township of Ya'an, scol.com.cn reported.

15:27Free porridge and noodles are provided outside the county gym at Lushan county of Ya'an city, Southwest China's Sichuan province, April 20, 2013.

15: 12

The death toll from a strong quake that struck southwest China's Sichuan province on Saturday has risen to 71, according to the China Earthquake Administration.

15:00Pan Huaiwen, director of the China Earthquake Networks Center, said the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Ya’an is estimated to be less serious than the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Wenchuan in 2008, and bigger quakes are not likely to occur after the main quake. Jiang Haikun, vice-director of the prediction department at the center, said the quake in Ya’an is not an aftershock of the Wenchuan quake, Xinhua News Agency reported.

14:52As of 13:00, firefighters from Sichuan province have rescued 34 people out of the debris of the quake, of whom 32 people,including a pregnant woman and two children, survived. The firefighters are now on their way to Longmen, Taoping and Rongsheng, the areas severely hit by the quake.

14:45The USGS, which rates earthquakes slightly different and has 7.0 listed as a 6.6, but the table shows the aftershocks since the massive quake.

14:40Flood prevention office of Lushan county said that cracks can be seen in Modong Reservoir and Miaoxi Reservoir in Lushan county, and Shiyang Reservoir in Tianquan county. People in downstream have been evacuated.

14:38Four events of a magnitude 6.0 or greater have occurred within 200km of the latest event in the past 40 years, including the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake and a subsequent aftershock. The northwestern margin of the Sichuan Basin has previously experienced destructive earthquakes, accaccording to USGS data.

14:35The first 72 hours after the earthquake are the golden time for victims to be rescued. The surviving chances for quake victims decrease sharply as time goes by. If rescued within 30 minutes, 95 percent of the victims would survive; within 24 hours, 81 percent. For people who are rescued in the second or third day, their survival rate would be 53% and 36.7%.